cheyalerias



(Nb Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

E. OHEVALERIAS. PORTFOLIO.

No. 579,470. Patented Mar. 23, 1897,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'E. GHBVALERIAS.

PORTFOLIO.

Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

PORTFOLIO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,470, dated March 23, 1897.

Application filed June 11I 1895. Serial No. 552,458. (No model.) Patented in Belgium October 6, 1894,1To. 112,132; in Germany October 8,1894,No.83,12'7; in France March 27, 1895, No. 245,152, and in England April 6, 1895, No. 7,115.

To aZZ whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE CHEVALERIAS, prtfolio-manufacturer, a subject of the Kiu g of Belgium, residing at Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, have invented new and useful Improvements in Portfolios, (for which patents have been obtained in Belgium October 6, 1894, No. 112,132; in Germany October S, 1894, No. 83,127; in England April 6, 1895, No. 7,115, and in France March 27, 1895, No. 245,152,) of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a portfolio of that kind in which the leaves or sheets are held by rods and tubes, the former of which penetrate partly or entirely into the latter and can be separated therefrom for removal or addition of fresh sheets.

In portfolios heretofore known the opera tions of separating and rengaging'the rods and tubes had always to be done by hand in such a manner that the registering of a large quantity of sheets at the same time always caused considerable loss of time, not to speak of the difficulties connected with its handling, which form one of the principal causes why a large number of offices refuse to adopt such system of portfolios. In this new portfolio Chevalrias the two operations of separating and reengaging the rods and tubes are effected automatically by the simple manipulation of opening and closing of the portfolio, and another feature by which this new portfolio is distinguished from all other devices of this kind is that the tubes remain horizontal, or approximately so, even after separation from the rods. Moreover, the amount of separation is no more than just sufficient to permit of the sheet being filed. I may pass a number of sheets from the rods to the tubes, or vice versa, without being obliged to reconnect the rods and tubes before so doing, because the sheets will pass in their entirety over the small space between the ends of the rods and tubes without any hindrance. These effects are obtained by the particular construction of this improved portfolio represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a lateral view of the portfolio closed. Fig. 2 shows a plan of the portfolio open, the rods being still united. Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the portfolio open, the rods being separated. Fig. I is .a plan view of the portfolio. Fig. 5 represents the rod which is removable from the guide-tubes, in section, on a larger scale.

This improved portfolio device consists of a very simple and inexpensive arrangement.

The backin g D of the portfolio is connected at both sides with the two covers E E by double hinges O C. To the outer or upper member 0 of the double hinge on one side are rigidly fixed the tubes T aforesaid, and to the outer or upper member of the other double hinge are fixed the rods 15, which latter engage the tubes as long as the hinges are not extended flat. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 2.)

For the purpose of obtaining the action hereinbefore described, namely, of supporting and holding the rods in horizontal position when they are separated and thus present an interruption of the continuity sufficient to permit of the filing of the sheets, the

upper members C of the double hinges must be prevented from turning back and must remain in vertical position when the portfolio is open. This condition is fulfilled when the two upper members 0 are united with one another by a complementary junction, preventing the said members from moving back, but nevertheless permitting of the turning back of the lower members of the hinges, which determines the necessary separation of the registering or fixing rods. A simple flexible ligature would be sufficient to realize this action during the opening of the portfolio, but would be insufficient during the closure, since then the rods and tubes would become inclined or bent overthc backing D, and their extremities would consequently no longer meet and engage. In other words, they would then lose their horizontal position. In order to avoid this inconvenience, the binding ma terial uniting the two members of each hinge must be rigid and at the same time extensible. Consequently two suitable rigid pieces sliding with regard to one another solve this question. The simplest form of such construction consists in the use of two tubes T and two corresponding rods the latter entering into the former exactly like the filing rods and tubes of the middle part, with the only difference that the rods t that control the hinges penetrate their corresponding tubes T so far that they remain united in the extreme open position of the portfolio and thus maintain the upper members 0 of the hinge in the vertical position. As the complementary tubes and rods are fastened on the said upper members C O at the extremities of the portfolio, the sheets of paper or the like are placed between them, and as they are parallel to the filing rodsand tubes, which separate, it will be readily seen that these latter must of necessity follow the movement of the outer rods and unite automatically when the portfolio is closed, so that this operation does not necessitate any particular actuation or guide of the filing-rods, indispensable in all other known constructions.

The uniting-rods t of the hinges are removable in order to permit of the complete opening of the portfolio, if necessary-for instance, when the same is filled up and for the purpose of removing the bundle of letters or sheets in order to fix them in an interior. For this purpose the said rods t carry a knob b at that extremity by which they are fixed in the member 0 of the hinge, and immediately in front of said knob they are provided with a screw-thread 1', which is screwed into a corresponding nut M, secured to the upper member of the hinge C. It is thus sufficient to simply unscrew the two rods by turning the said knobs b in order to remove the rods 25 and thus to permit of the total opening of the portfolio.

S is a clip adapted to slide on the rodst and tubes '1.

The portfolio is provided with a strap having a loop A and hinges P, by which it is secured to plates Z on one of the covers. (See Fig. 2.)

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. A portfolio comprising the backing, the covers, the double hinges connecting the backing with the covers and each consisting of an inner and an outer section, the short tubes secured to the outer section of a hinge for supporting the sheets, and the short rods secu red to the outer section of the other hinge and adapted to slide within the short tubes when the portfolio is closed and to be disconnected therefrom when the portfolio is open and the long tubes and rods connected when the portfolio is open and adapted to guide and keep the short tubes and rods in line with each other when the latter are disconnected substantially as described.

2. A portfolio comprising the backing, the covers, the double hinges connecting the backing with the covers and each consisting of an inner and an outer section, the short tubes and rods secured to the outer sections of the hinges, and disconnected when the portfolio is open, the long tubes secured to the outer section of a hinge the long rods connected with the long tubes when the portfolio is open and each having a screw-thread by which it is secured to the outer section of the other hinge, and a knob by which it is removed and replaced, and retaining-nuts 5 substantially as described.

EUGENE crmvALEnIAs.

\Vitnesses:

AUG. JoERIssEN, GEO. W. RoosEvELr. 

